Grants office secures over $5.6M for FY 2017

Since the enactment of Public Law 19-49 in June 2016, the CNMI Office of Grants Management and State Clearinghouse has seen a significant increase in grant funding awards and utilization.

P.L. 19-49, or the Grants Management Act of 2015, restructures OGM-SC as a single point of contact for grant correspondence and announcements in order to mitigate federal grant compliance issues and improve oversight and grants training throughout the CNMI government.

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said that formalizing and revising the standards for grants management has drastically improved the fulfillment of grant awards and projects.

He pointed out that, within such a short time, OGM has secured over $5 million in federal funding.

“With our grants team, we now have a greater outlook for future funding awards. …I am pleased by the ongoing progress of our grants team, as well as the continued foresight of our grants administrator,” Torres said.

In the past, performance goals and utilization of grants were not met, but this new policy has initiated long-term sustainability for the CNMI government’s vital program and services. At the same time, best practices as well as allowable expenditures to supplement the CNMI’s budget continue to be examined.

According to OGM-SC Administrator Epiphanio E. Cabrera Jr., several grants have been secured through the Technical Assistance Program, Maintenance Assistance Program, and the Empowering Insular Communities Program under the Department of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs, the Community Facilities Grant Program, and the Rural Business Development Grant under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Community Development Block Grant under the Northern Marianas Housing Corp., and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“We’ve been able to secure more grant funding for the benefit of our community. This is just a portion of the anticipated awards from federal agencies and other grant programs we expect to see in the year ahead.

“I thank our local agencies, federal partners, and the grants team for taking advantage of grant opportunities that enhance our infrastructure and supplement our local funding.

“There is more work ahead of us, but we are pleased to have been able to strengthen our local policies to improve the working relationships with our grantors and increase the outlook of our future endeavors,” Cabrera said.

Cabrera added that the over $5.6 million in grants went toward the waste incinerator refurbishment for the Commonwealth Ports Authority, the Department of Public Safety patrol fleet, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. Saipan groundwater study, the Department of Public Works’ roll-off truck for the lower base transfer station, the CNMI Ma’afala breadfruit farming program initiative, the sexual assault forensic examiners program, the solid waste management feasibility study, the Kagman farm plot water distribution upgrade, the CNMI Fire & Emergency Medical Services apparatus, the landfill gas extraction feasibility study, the technology enhancement program, the Rota slaughterhouse feasibility study, the CNMI veterans cemetery expansion, the Koblerville youth learning center expansion project, and the coconut rhino beetle detection and eradication on Rota.

Cabrera noted that OGM-SC has also extended its sub-granting authority to assist several government departments such as the Department of Commerce, the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, and the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.

“These benefits have all been extended to Tinian and Rota for the betterment of the entire Commonwealth. There is still so much growth ahead and potential to improve our office. In addition to grant writing, we continue to assist with compliance and review. We acknowledge that there are still more granting opportunities we want to avail from as we build our capacity. Looking towards the future, there will be a lot of progress and work to be done,” Cabrera said. (PR)